Kew Forest Plumbing #52

Section 3 Final:
 
RGMVM - 13 Staten Island Mid Island LL - 10

After winning their first two Section games with relative ease the boys from RGMVM had no idea what they were in for on this night. They would be put into a situation they weren’t familiar with, playing from behind, but they would come back and win the first ever Section 3 Title in league history. RGMVM sent their ace Chris Piteo to the mound and after two innings they were down 9-0. It wasn’t that Chris was throwing that badly it was the defense that wasn’t supporting their pitcher. Of those nine runs given up over the first two innings only one of them was earned. And that’s when the game changed.

With things looking bleak the boys woke up and exploded for 13 unanswered runs. After 2 innings with only one base runner the bats came alive. Nick Lante led off the inning with a walk followed by a Case Surdi single. After a fielders choice Brandon Acosta came to the plate and singled up the middle which cleared the bases after the center fielder misplayed the ball. Chris Piteo then doubled and was followed by singles by Eric Tully, Danny Ammirati, and Karl Klesin. An Austin Nieves walk and another Mid Island error and the boys from RGMVM were only down 9-6 and things were looking up. Things continued to roll in the 4th inning when RGMVM scored 5 more runs to take the lead for the first time. The first four batters of the inning walked scoring a run and then Klesin drove in another run with a fielders choice, but the big blow came off the bat of Paul Hyland who cleared the bases with a triple giving RGMVM a 10-9 lead. Two pitches later Hyland straight stole home giving the boys an 11-9 lead.

The locals had a big scare in the bottom of the 4th when Mid Island loaded the bases against Piteo with two outs. But then the defensive play of the tournament was made and saved the game. Joseph Portaro hit a major league high fly ball that left fielder Frank Chiodi, after running a long way and through a hole in the outfield, got under to catch and save the lead and possibly the Section Title.

Danny Ammirati then put the game away in the 5th with a two run single that gave them a 13-9 lead. Piteo surrendered a run in the 6th but it was too little too late as the boys from RGMVM were on to their first Section 3 Title in the leagues 55 year history.

The boys showed great heart and desire all night and never put their heads down, even with 100 degree heat beating down on them. Piteo showed the greatest heart pitching the last 3 innings with a severe headache. This win gives the boys a birth in the 9-10 year old State Tournament to be held in Islip, Long Island.

New York State Tournament Game 1
 
Sachem - 6 RGMVM - 1

Just three days after their thrilling victory in the Section Final the boys from RGMVM were off to Long Island to play for the State Title. Down to the Final Four teams in the entire state the boys drew the local Long Island team from Sachem, and things got off to another ugly start. Starting pitcher

Brandon Acosta got off to a shaky start allowing six runs over the first two innings but settled down and only allowed one more base runner the rest of the game. The bats for the RGMVM boys didn’t fair much better as they only could muster up six hits off Sachem starter James White, with the lone run coming in the third inning when Acosta scored on an Eric Tully single. White would go the distance and keep the local boys off balance all day. White only struck out three batters but the Sachem defense did a great job of only making one error all afternoon.

The boys got off to a bad start here but this is a double elimination tournament so tomorrow is another day.

State Tournament Game 2
 
RGMVM - 10 Brighton - 5

After a sluggish first day the bats came alive again banging out ten runs in the first two innings against the team from Brighton, NY, which is right outside of Rochester. From the first batter of the game the boys looked ready to forget yesterday’s game and start fresh. Brandon Acosta led off the game with a single, after a fielders choice erased Acosta, Chris Piteo singled followed by an Eric Tully walk. The bases were then loaded for Danny Ammirati who singled to center and after the ball took a bad hop over the centerfielders head the bases had been cleared and RGMVM led 3-0. Karl Klesin finished off the scoring for the inning with a double to right scoring Ammirati.

The bats kept at it in the second inning when the boys put up 6 more runs. Nick Lante, Mike Billera, and Brandon Acosta were the first three batters to the plate and all three would single to load the bases. After an out was made Piteo would double to right center scoring all three runs and gave RGMVM a 6-1 lead, but the scoring didn’t end there. After a fly out and a Brighton error Karl Klesin stepped to the plate and belted a two run homer over the left center field fence to give RGMVM a 10-1 lead. While all this was going on Chris Piteo was back at it on the mound throwing another complete game and running his tournament record to 4-0 includeing 2
no-hitters..

Piteo would go the distance allowing two earned runs and striking out eight Brighton batters. With this win the RGMVM boys would advance to the next round of the tournament and a rematch with Sachem.

State Tournament Game 3
 
RGMVM - 6 Sachem - 5

With revenge on their minds the boys from RGMVM came out early and looked like they were here to take care of business. Eric Tully was sent to the mound looking to record his third win of the tournament. Tully was sharp early keeping sachem at bay while the RGMVM boys got out to an early lead. In the second inning Austin Nieves lead off with a single and was sacrificed over to second by Mike Billera.

After a Brandon Acosta single, Nieves scored on an infield hit by TJ Ritter, giving RGMVM a 1-0 lead. After Tully put up another zero on the board the boys jumped on Sachem for three more runs. Tully lead off with a walk and then back to back doubles by Danny Ammirati and Karl Klesin gave RGMVM a 2-0 lead. Then back to back sac flies by Nieves and Nick Lante and the boys had a 4-0 lead going into the 4th inning. Then Tully ran into some trouble giving up three runs before being relieved by Nick Lante who came into the game with runners on second and third. Lante would get a ground ball back to the mound, would look the runner back to third and throw to get the out at first. But when Lante threw to first the runner took off for the plate so Chris Piteo quickly came off the base and fired home to Acosta to turn the old 1-3-2 double play to end the inning.

RGMVM could get nothing going in the fourth and Sachem then jumped on Lante to take the lead in the 5th with two more runs. In the bottom of the 5th the local boys came right back and tied the game up when Austin Nieves scored on a Brandon Acosta bloop single into right. Lante shut the Sachem boys down 1-2-3 in the 6th and the stage was set for RGMVM to get the walk off win. With the middle of the order up for RGMVM the game looked to be over but when the first two batters made out it looked like we were headed to extra innings. But then Danny Ammirati singled to keep the inning alive. After Klesin reached on an error the stage was set for Austin Nieves to be the hero. Nieves proceeded to hit a single into left field scoring Casey Surdi who was pinch running for Ammirati and sending the boys and fans into an uproar with the exciting win.

The boys again showed great heart after getting down late and never giving up. With this win the RGMVM boys will face the team from East Greenbush – Castleton Little League for the State Title. EGCLL needs just one win since they are already 2-0, while RGMVM will need to win two days in a row to win the title.

State Tournament Game 4
 
East Greenbush – Castleton - 9 RGMVM - 2

With their backs up against the wall the RGMVM boys came out a bit sluggish against a very good EGCLL team and it cost them. RGMVM sent Danny Ammirati, who hasn’t pitched in at least a month, to the mound to try and keep their season alive. After giving up an unearned run in the top of the first RGMVM came right back and scored one of their own in the bottom half. With two outs Chris Piteo, Eric Tully and finally Ammirati singled to get RGMVM on the board. EGCLL would come right back in the top of the second with another unearned run, but RGMVM bounced right back again. TJ Ritter led off with a single and was then erased on a fielder’s choice. Brandon Acosta then singled and with two out Karl Klesin singled to score the second RGMVM run of the day. After two innings the boys hadn’t played their best baseball but they were even at two. In the third inning the wheels feel off and EGCLL scored four more runs, only one earned, and put them up 6-2.

They would tack on three more runs over the next few innings and go on to a 9-2 victory and the State Title. The EGCLL team went 3-0 in this tournament and deserved the title as they played solid defense with real good pitching and timely hitting all weekend.

Congratulations boys. I would like to thank all the boys on this RGMVM team as we became the first team in league history to win the Section 3 Title as well as reach the State Finals. We finished 2nd in the entire state of New York which started out with over more then 500 teams, so you have nothing to be ashamed of. I am extremely proud of all of you and you should be proud of yourself for all your accomplishments this summer. I would also like to thank all the parents for all their time they gave and all the support they gave these young boys. Finally I would like to thank my two assistant coaches Brian Chrzastek, and Hugh Tully who kept me under control in the dugout when things weren’t going so great, I couldn’t have done it without you. And remember boys “TU MADRE”.